African Entrepreneurship Record

Chapter 131: Chapter 124 Rudolph’s Change_2

Robert Jarvis, 92 points...”

”Jim Liu, 32 points, failed.”

Alfred Essenbezer said with a hint of disappointment: ”Jim Liu, you need to work much harder! Otherwise, you won’t even be able to see the backs of your classmates in the future.”

As a renowned German teacher, Alfred Essenbezer very rarely encountered a student as dull-witted as Jim Liu.

If it were an ordinary class, it wouldn’t matter, but set against the backdrop of Rudolph and many excellent students, Jim Liu really couldn’t keep up.

Alfred Essenbezer really couldn’t understand why Ernst included such outliers in the class.

Other teachers shared the same sentiment as Alfred Essenbezer.

These teachers didn’t know Rudolph’s identity; they were all hired by Ernst at high salaries from other schools.

Therefore, they treated Rudolph and other students equally, but Rudolph’s excellent upbringing and relatively extensive knowledge base (early education) left many teachers with a good impression of him.

The few genius students were also very much favored by the teachers, as they learned at an extremely fast pace.

Students who didn’t perform well naturally received different treatment from teachers, with some being very strict, some choosing to persuade calmly, and others simply giving up.

This type of class, somewhat similar to the exam-focused education of a past life, was set up at Heixinggen Military Academy. Its academic content far surpassed that of other classes (after all, Rudolph had to take many more courses), while the class contained geniuses, ordinary people, and less capable students.

Beyond the teaching content, this class also participated in regular activities and exchanges with other classes at Heixinggen Military Academy.

The Crown Prince Rudolph, as a result, opened up to a new world, making many friends and interacting for the first time with people who weren’t the usual noble offspring.

The heavy academic workload each day left Rudolph with no time to think about his family at Mei Quan Palace, gradually causing him to forget the conflicts between his parents, the arguments between his grandmother and mother, his father’s stern face...

In the dormitory and classroom, Rudolph was surrounded only by classmates. Occasionally, on weekends, Ernst would take Rudolph to meet Crown Prince Frederick and others at the Prussian Palace and participate in some court activities, thus ensuring that Rudolph wouldn’t fall behind in noble etiquette.

Although his current school life was more exhausting, Rudolph felt a happiness he had never experienced before.

Previously, facing Franz’s severe expressions and rejection, Rudolph always felt inferior, like he was worthless.

But at Heixinggen, Rudolph received heartfelt praise from the teachers, and occasionally criticism for a drop in grades. For the first time, Rudolph realized that he could also make progress, especially when effort and dedication always led to results.

The teachers’ objective evaluations, along with interactions with classmates, made Rudolph feel that he was no longer just a tool to mechanically follow the path laid out by his father, but was becoming a truly self-aware individual.

Gradually, Rudolph smiled more, and the once timid boy grew more confident, no longer always denying himself but objectively facing his strengths and weaknesses.

At the same time, Rudolph learned to switch between his court and school personas—amongst the nobility in the court, he was the Crown Prince of Austria-Hungary, with all the bearing and demeanor of a noble; at school, he was an ordinary boy who played games with his classmates, joked around, and did what he loved.

Watching Rudolph’s transformation, Ernst felt satisfied; this was the vitality and energy a bright young man should have.

...

Sunday.

”Rudolph!” Ernst called out to him.

”What’s up? Brother Ernst.”

”Come here, kid!”

Rudolph obediently came before Ernst.

”How’s the school life this month, isn’t it interesting?” Ernst asked with a smile.

”School is great; both the teachers and the classmates are nice.”

”Then, what do you think is better, being at school or at Mei Quan Palace!” Ernst intentionally set a trap.

”Both are quite nice; at Heixinggen, I’ve experienced a different lifestyle and grown a lot,” Rudolph avoided the trap.

”Hehe, I never saw you smiling every day at Mei Quan Palace. You weren’t like that when making dirty jokes at school,” Ernst teased.

Rudolph responded without blushing or heart-stopping: ”You can’t falsely accuse an innocent person, I’m a good kid, how could I make dirty jokes.”

”Now you’re even lying? Good, I have people watching you every day! You little rascal, trying to fool me. I know everything you say every week,” Ernst gave Rudolph’s head a flick.

”Hiss...”, Rudolph winced from the pain after the flick.

”It seems you’re about ready to graduate, now it’s time for you to perform, tomorrow come with me to the photo studio, and show the same confidence you do at the Prussian palace, you know? Follow my instructions tomorrow,” said Ernst.

Although Rudolph didn’t know what Ernst intended, he still nodded.

...

”Alright, straighten your back, let your face display some arrogance!” Ernst directed from afar.

”You’ve overdone it, when I say arrogance, I mean extreme confidence, you know, adjust your state again.”

Rudolph stood in the manor, at Ernst’s disposal. Early in the morning, the two went to the photo studio.

Ernst had the staff bring their equipment to his family’s manor and dressed Rudolph in military uniform.

Nobody knew where Ernst found a small black stallion, which he had Rudolph ride.

This horse was just for show, to make little Rudolph appear taller, so the horse was also young, Ernst wanted the ultimate effect to be handsome.

After Rudolph readjusted, Ernst looked at him from left to right and remarked with satisfaction: ”Very good, photographer, start shooting!”

”Click”, the photo of Crown Prince Rudolph was taken.

...

A few days later, at Mei Quan Palace.

In the photo, Rudolph rode the black stallion, looking dashing and mighty, with a hint of determination and confidence on his youthful face.

Empress Dowager Sophie admired the photo that Ernst sent with great satisfaction.

”Franz, do you think my grandson has the qualities of a future emperor of the empire?” Empress Dowager Sophie asked.

”He has half my charm from when I was young,” Franz boasted shamelessly.

Empress Dowager Sophie didn’t dwell on it, her attention fully on the photo, she continued: ”It seems Rudolph is doing well at Ernst’s place, his whole demeanor has improved a lot. Ernst mentioned that since Rudolph has gotten used to the teaching methods of the recent teachers, it’s better to continue his education in Prussia for now and bring him back by the end of the year.”

”Mother, isn’t that too long!” Franz expressed his concern.

”What are you worried about? I think Ernst is better at educating children than you brothers are—all of you are unreliable, especially Ferdinand (Maximiliano I), who hasn’t come back in so long, Karina hasn’t seen him in years!”

Empress Dowager Sophie continued: ”Look at Ernst, he sends updates on Rudolph every week, all those assignments and exam papers weigh dozens of pounds, and you as a father once vowed to check your son’s studies only to give up the next day!”

”See how healthy my grandson looks now, he looks fatter than before, his spirits are up, and he’s keeping up with his studies. People who’ve been to the Prussian royal family say Rudolph’s aura feels much improved!”

Anyway, the more Empress Dowager Sophie adored it, the more satisfied she became; this was the effect of Ernst’s packaging of Rudolph.

For now, Ernst didn’t plan on returning Rudolph any time soon, so to reassure Empress Dowager Sophie, he naturally only reported the good news and not the bad, showcasing his educational ”achievements” at every opportunity.

From his past life, Ernst knew that ”impressions”, when accumulated over time, could be etched into a person’s mind. Ernst was truly using daily updates to Mei Quan Palace to make Empress Dowager Sophie aware of what her grandson had learned, done, and how he performed each day.

It was essentially hinting that Rudolph was performing excellently, so feel assured to have him stay with me!

Ernst didn’t fear getting caught, as it was all about hinting without using false information, just slightly exaggerated at most.

As Ernst’s experiment, he didn’t want to return Rudolph too early; otherwise, the Austrian Royal Family might revert Rudolph’s character, and all the previous efforts would be in vain.